Mary and the Eucharist -- I really love Bl. JP2's insights

The intimacy between Jesus and Mary cannot be underestimated, and Blessed John Paul's meditation on Mary's "eucharistic" faith is one worth pondering. My latest over at Patheos is a second look at some highlights from the late pontiff's last encyclical, and it's final chapter describing Mary as a woman of the Eucharist.

Here's a bit:

John Paul’s encyclical recalls Mary as a human person who was intimately acquainted with the Son of God, as both his Mother, and as a his first disciple. In her personal “yes” to the Father, who announces the Good News of Christ’s coming into the world through her, we also intuit, how Christ to comes us, miraculously, through the Eucharist.

 [T]here is a profound analogy between the Fiat which Mary said in reply to the angel,   and the Amen which every believer says when receiving the body of the Lord. Mary was asked to believe that the One whom she conceived “through the Holy Spirit” was “the Son of God” (Lk 1:30-35). In continuity with the Virgin's faith, in the Eucharistic mystery we are asked to believe that the same Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Mary, becomes present in his full humanity and divinity under the signs of bread and wine. ”(Ecclesia de Eucharistia, par. 55.)

Mary first received Christ in her heart by her “yes”, and then conceived Christ in her womb by God’s holy action. Referring to this miraculous indwelling of Christ in Mary, Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin, would acclaim Mary as the first tabernacle in history: “Blessed is she who believed! (Lk 1:45)”

Indeed, blessed are we, too, in the precious moments following a holy Communion, becoming sanctuaries that harbor the Sacred Host that is Jesus. Our preparation beforehand and outlook after receiving him must imitate Mary’s.

And is not the enraptured gaze of Mary as she contemplated the face of the newborn Christ and cradled him in her arms that unparalleled model of love which should inspire us every time we receive Eucharistic communion? ” (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, par. 55.)

 Don’t be fooled into thinking these descriptions are just lofty platitudes of Mary’s faith. John Paul describes a remarkably empowered person. Her times of suffering portend the highest heroic virtue. 

Read it all.

Among Women Podcast on Hiatus til July 13

It's summertime and don't we all have a few things going on? The podcast will be quiet, but the blog will still be active. I'll look forward to returning with a new podcast on July 13th. Browse our AW archives from the last two years.

Or go visit our podcasting friends at Catholic Weekend, and the entire SQPN line-up. Or check in with Faith and Family Live Cast, Catholic Moments, and Catholic Vitamins.

And for Sunday inspiration, I always recommend Fr. Barron's Word on Fire.

For your reading pleasure, I'm still over at Patheos every week.

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My Recommended Summer Reading

This morning I had a great conversation today with Brian Patrick on the Sonrise Morning Show, and we talked about summer reading suggestions.

Here are mine:

A Biblical Walk through The Mass, by Dr. Edward Sri
An excellent resource for personal or group use-- especially as we prepare to receive the new missal in Advent 2011. Dr. Sri is infectiously enthusiastic on this subject matter. 

Happy Catholic, Glimpses of God in Everyday Life by Julie Davis
Fun, witty, inspirational... quotes from a myriad of sources with meditations to get you thinking!

The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri J.M. Nouwen
A soon-to-be-classic, I have re-read this book before. It's 20 years old, but a unique combination of a meditation on the Gospel story and the great work of the same name by Rembrandt. This book is a mini-retreat! 

This makes me think...

We can hardly bear to leave that fatherly shoulder to which the son returned in tears.

~~~~~

Take courage, then, presumptuous soul, in the thought that you have to do with a God whose mercy prevents him from seeing clearly. The Bible teems with blind patriarchs, and doubtless it was news of his father's dimmed vision that hastened the return of the prodigal son. For we know too well that when we rush into his arms, his eyes will be good for nothing but weeping... It is not by sight that the Father knows his son, but by touch. "The Lord looks on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7)." It is of the heart alone that he demands the secret of our love. He inhales us that he might know our scent.


---Paul Claudel, I Believe in God.

Happy Corpus Christi

OK, this is a book trailer, but it teaches a few good things about the Eucharist.


Things I've already posted here: My column featuring Blessed John Paul II's encyclical on the Eucharist, and this video of "Flash Mob"-style Adoration.

Among Women ReadHer... 6.25.11

Among Women ReadHer

6.25.11

The War Against Girls -- a WSJ book review by Jonathan Last.

Not a pretty subject, but it must continue to be examined.

The Today Show meets The Tenderness of God's Mercy -- Kathyrn Jean Lopez at Headline Bistro.
Archbishop Dolan on morning television shows us how its done.


College Maternity Center is a First -- The Charlotte Observer.
What a novel and needed idea. Any other Catholic and Christian colleges taking notes?


Iraqi Sister Founding Religious Order to Serve the Spiritually Poor in Boston -- Marianne Medlin at Catholic News Agency.
Remember Sr. Olga from AW 41? God is giving her a new mission!


Spanking Hits Bottom Line in Parenting Debate -- Mary Beth Hicks at CatholicMom.com.
This issue is one to watch in the courts.


10 Romantic Stay-at-Home Date Nights -- Hallie Lord at Betty Beguiles.
Parents of small children, especially, take note!


The Armor of God -- Rachel Balducci at Testosterhome.
Got boys?


Should I Marry Him? -- Simcha Fisher at National Catholic Register
Pass this one around. Nice one, Simcha!


American Pinwheels -- Laura Lee Richard from Our House of Joyful Noise.
Looks like a great craft idea -- said the woman who considers herself craft-impaired. Even if you are not crafty, go see this post just to marvel at Laura's amazing photography. She may have one of the most artistically gorgeous blogs on the planet. (She is a professional photographer.) Oh, and does her name seem familiar? She was my guest on AW 76. 

The F.U.N Quotient... girlfriends!

On deciding where to eat for Girls Night Out...

Some 15-year-old girlfriends decided to meet for dinner. They discussed where to eat and finally agreed on McDonald's next to the Sea Side Restaurant because they only had $6.50 between them and Bobby, the cute boy in science class, lived on that street.

10 years later, the same girlfriends, now 25-year-olds, discussed where to meet for dinner. Finally they agreed to meet at the Sea Side Restaurant because it had free snacks, there was no cover charge, the beer was cheap, the band was good and there were lots of cute guys.

10 years later, the same girlfriends, now 35-year-olds, discussed where to meet for dinner. Finally they agreed to meet at the Sea Side Restaurant because the combos were good, it was near the gym and if they went late enough, there wouldn't be many whiny little kids.

10 years later, the same girlfriends, now 45-year-olds, discussed where to meet for dinner. Finally they agreed to meet at the Sea Side Restaurant because the martinis were big and they could make a dinner just out of the appetizers.

10 years later, the same girlfriends, now 55-year-olds, discussed where to meet for dinner. Finally they agreed to meet at the Sea Side Restaurant because the prices were reasonable, it had windows which opened (in case of hot flashes), the wine list was good and fish was good for their cholesterol.

10 years later, the same girlfriends, now 65-year-olds, discussed where to meet for dinner. Finally they agreed to meet at the Sea Side Restaurant because they had an Early Bird Special and the lighting was good.

10 years later, the same girlfriends, now 75-year-olds, discussed where to meet for dinner. Finally they agreed to meet at the Sea Side Restaurant because the food wasn't too spicy and it was handicapped accessible.

10 years later, the same girlfriends, now 85-year-olds, discussed where to meet for dinner. Finally they agreed to meet at the Sea Side Restaurant because they'd never been there before.

Pope Benedict XVI holding the Eucharist

Pope Benedict XVI holding the Eucharist, a photo by Christus Vincit on Flickr.

Video: Catholic Flash Mob? Or Eucharistic Street Evangelists? An interesting co-mingling.

H/T @ChayLupita on Twitter

As we approached Corpus Christi, a look at JPII's Final Encyclical on the Eucharist

Take a short tour of the last encyclical that we received from Pope John Paul II on the Eucharist, at my column this week at the Catholic Portal at Patheos...

In the encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, Blessed John Paul II sought to rekindle in Catholics our Eucharistic amazement… “to contemplate the face of Christ” anew, and to receive Christ in the most intimate way possible this side of heaven.

When it was released in 2003, I wondered if Ecclesia de Eucharistia, (“On the Eucharist in its Relationship to the Church.”) would be his last encyclical. In frail health from advancing Parkinson’s disease, I marveled at both the unrelenting schedule and prolific output that came from John Paul II. Yet, here it was, his fourteenth encyclical. From my vantage point, the Holy Eucharist empowered and animated the ailing pope.

Blessed John Paul II not only taught the Second Vatican Council proclamation that the Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life (Lumen Gentium, 11), ” he witnessed to it in his heroic person.

The Catholic Church celebrates Corpus Christi Sunday this coming week, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus. This is a prime opportunity to examine our own relationship with the Eucharist in the microcosm of our lives… to draw our very lifeblood from Christ in the Eucharist.

...

In the Eucharist, we see and find and receive Jesus. Recall the disciples along the road to Emmaus in the post-Resurrection accounts. Their amazement and joy at discovering Jesus alive -- in the context of their daily lives -- was uncontained.

To contemplate Christ involves being able to recognize him wherever he manifests himself, in his many forms of presence, but above all in the living sacrament of his body and his blood. The Church draws her life from Christ in the Eucharist; by him she is fed and by him she is enlightened...

Whenever the Church celebrates the Eucharist, the faithful can in some way relive the experience of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus: “their eyes were opened and they recognized him” (Lk 24:31). (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, par. 6.)

There's more here. 

Among Women Podcast #102: Finding God on Campus

Among Women 102 welcomes college students, Kate Gohn and Kate Ryan, women of the Class of 2012. Together we explore themes of friendship, finding Christian community, going to Mass, and trying to grow in faith in an urban campus setting. They also offer a few tips to incoming college freshmen on being committed to one's faith.

Also profiled is Blessed Pierina Morosini, a young Italian martyr for the faith who is a patron for rape victims.

This note: AW will be on hiatus until July 13.

This makes me think... from St Therese, the Little Flower on Rome

How shall I describe the feelings which thrilled me when I gazed
on the Coliseum? At last I saw the arena where so many Martyrs had shed their blood for Christ. My first impulse was to kiss the
ground sanctified by their glorious combats. But what a
disappointment! The soil has been raised, and the real arena is
now buried at the depth of about twenty-six feet.

As the result of excavations the centre is nothing but a mass of
rubbish, and an insurmountable barrier guards the entrance; in any case no one dare penetrate into the midst of these dangerous
ruins. But was it possible to be in Rome and not go down to the
real Coliseum? No, indeed! And I no longer listened to the guide's
explanations: one thought only filled my mind--I must reach the
arena.

We are told in the Gospel that St. Mary Magdalen remained close to the Sepulchre and stooped down constantly to look in; she was
rewarded by seeing two Angels. So, like her, I kept stooping down
and I saw, not two Angels, but what I was in search of. I uttered
a cry of joy and called out to my sister: "Come, follow me, we
shall be able to get through." We hurried on at once, scrambling
over the ruins which crumbled under our feet. Papa, aghast at our
boldness, called out to us, but we did not hear.

As the warriors of old felt their courage grow in face of peril,
so our joy increased in proportion to the fatigue and danger we
had to face to attain the object of our desires. Celine, more
foreseeing than I, had listened to the guide. She remembered that
he had pointed out a particular stone marked with a cross, and had
told us it was the place where the Martyrs had fought the good
fight. She set to work to find it, and having done so we threw
ourselves on our knees on this sacred ground. Our souls united in
one and the same prayer. My heart beat violently when I pressed my lips to the dust reddened with the blood of the early Christians.
I begged for the grace to be a martyr for Jesus, and I felt in the
depths of my heart that my prayer was heard. All this took but a
short time. After collecting some stones we approached the walls
once more to face the danger. We were so happy that Papa had not
the heart to scold us, and I could see that he was proud of our
courage.

--- St Therese of Lisieux, Story of a Soul (online edition).

Having recently visited Rome, I thought I'd share some more photos with you --specificially, the Coliseum or Colosseo, as they call it in Italy. The Cross you see erected there toward the end of the photos was erected in 2000, the Jubiliee Year by Blessed John Paul II.

Learn more about the Coliseum here.

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Happy Sunday! Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. 

For most of us*, St. Patrick’s Trinitarian analogy using the little shamrock, for all its simplicity, conveys the essential essence of the Trinity.

Imagine Patrick holding a shamrock as he converses with you, somewhat along these lines…

“Would ye be seein’ the little shamrock clover I’m holding in my hands now?”

“Aye.”

“Now, laddies and lassies, answer me this… Is this one leaf or three? Or would it be both one leaf and three?”

“Aye, indeed, ‘tis the one and the three at the same time!”

“And so ‘tis with God!”

His prayer of renown, St. Patrick’s Breastplate, opens and ends with these resounding sentiments...

I arise today

Through a mighty strength,

The invocation of the Trinity,

Through a belief in the threeness,

Through a confession of the oneness

Of the Creator of Creation…

The saints knew firsthand what they were talking about. 

If you'd like a fuller explanation of the "who" and "what" of the Trinity, please go read my most recent column on the Trinity over at Patheos.

*(Note: For those desiring a deeper explanation of the “how” the Trinity is three-in-one, I defer to the mastery of Frank Sheed by referring inquirers to carefully read his work on the subject, excerpted here, or read the Catechism, par. 232- 267.)

image credit

Among Women ReadHer... 6.18.11

Among Women ReadHer

6.18.11

The True Meaning of Marriage -- Archbishop of New York, Timothy Dolan
As the Governor and New York State legislature move toward same-sex marriage, NY's Archbishop has timely, important instruction and counsel.


He's Just Not That Into You -- Lauren at Sipping Lemonade
A lot of this is common sense, but sometimes it's good to have someone spell it out.

Hallie Lord's blog is host to several engagement stories.

Some real life follow up to Lauren's article above. 

Walking with a Friend -- Susan Terbay at CatholicMom.com
I so relate to this, cuz I have lived it: What it means to a cancer patient to have others make it easy for them. (Read this in tandem with the next piece from Maria Johnson.)


God Wears a Guaybera and Probably Smokes Cuban Cigars -- Maria Johnson at Another Cup of Coffee
Read this if only to learn this: To ask my friends for prayer, then, is to let them love me. 


This Dad Has Always Been Funnier -- Mary Beth Hicks at Family Events
Hicks writes about her husband this Father's Day.


Sharing His Mind with Me -- Danielle Bean at Fathers for Good
Bean serves up rich memories and the solid example of her Dad for Father's Day

The F.U.N Quotient... cool photography edition

Great and interesting photography is something of a passion here in the Gohn home. Hope you enjoy these as much as we have!

Night Skies

Tornado track thru Massachusetts recently
Ok, maybe this one was not so fun, but still sometime aerial views are amazing!

photo courtesy of NASA

The Shuttle Endeavor's last mission. - more photos.


Still more from space.

Chile's Puyehue Volcano Erupts - WOW! From last week - Something we don't see everyday!

Getting Ready for this Sunday's Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity: "The Sublime Logic of the Trinity" -- my column this week at Patheos

There's no end to plumbing the depths of the mystery of the Holy Trinity... but for us mere mortals, the Catechism of the Catholic Church gives us beautiful insights to this, the most foundational of Christian beliefs. A Word in Season, my column at Patheos, highlights some of the basics truths that might assist our desire to grow in the knowledge of God, and accept his amazing love for us.

Here's an excerpt....

Christians have faith in this Three-in-one God because of God’s own revelation to us. God not only created time but entered into time and spoke to us. The primary reason for this divine intervention is that God longed to reveal Himself to us, and did so in ever increasing degrees over the course of human history. 

Think about it: This is a God that wants to be known.  By us! And loved by us. The most amazing thing about the glory of God is that it is something that God wishes to share with us.

 God is not afraid to seek us out and invite us to be joined to him in everlasting glory. God is our origin and our end.

Read the whole thing.

Please subscribe to my weekly column, if you enjoy it. It can be delivered right to your email inbox, or a reader via an RSS feed.

Scholars from different faith traditions convene and celebrate Mary

For a few years, I have enjoyed membership in the ESBVM -- the Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary, an international organization that works to promote greater understanding and dialogue of the significance of the Blessed Virgin Mary between Christian and non-Christian religions.

A new book of essays from top scholars in the Society has just been released and I am happy to support their work. Here is the press release that explains the fascinating scope of their work:

New Pan-Christian Book on the Mother of Christ!

New chance to promote Mary across denominational borders 

What are twenty-first-century Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox Christians saying about the mother of the Christian Messiah?  How much do we hold in common?  How much is disputed? What can be learned from the rich heritage of other Christian traditions?   What can be learned from Judaism and Islam?

Discover the answers to these and other questions!

 Order Mary for the Love and Glory of God, (eds. Maura Hearden, Ph.D. and Virginia Kimball, S.T.D.): This remarkable book, just published, is an engaging and informative collection of essays written by scholars and clergy from the many and varied traditions of eastern and western Christianity.

Retail price: $25

To order: Contact the ESBVM at esbvmeditor@gmail.com. (Also available through online book dealers.)

 Become part of an ecumenical Marian organization: Mary for the Love and Glory of God is the fruit of the first International Congress of the Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary (ESBVM) to have been held in the United States.  The Society, which began in the United Kingdom in 1967 and spread to the United States a decade later, exists to promote ecumenical study of and devotion to Mary as a vital component of Christian unity. 

 Join the ESBVM: Theologians, clergy, and lay people from all Christian traditions who wish to explore the role that Christ’s mother played in salvation history and her relevance to our lives today are encouraged to join as we strive to obey Christ’s command “That they may all be one” (Jn 17:21).

 To find out more about the ESBVM, go to the international website: www.esbvm.org.

 For ESBVM membership in the United States, send an email to the chapter president, Dr. Virginia Kimball: virginiakimball@comcast.net.

The co-editor and current President of the US Chapter of the ESBVM, Virginia Kimball, STD, of Assumption College (Worchester, MA) was a recent guest on Among Women (See episodes 100 & 101).


Finally, co-editor, Maura Hearden, PhD, of DeSales University (Center Valley, PA) has also appeared as a guest on Among Women (See episodes 31, 32, and 83.)

Among Women Podcast #101: Mystics

Among Women 101 continues the discussion from last week with Dr. Virginia Kimball on Christian mysticism. Join us for profiles of Caryl Houselander and the Virgin Mary, plus a discussion of the mysticism of motherhood. We also review Mary: For the Love and Glory of God, a new scholarly work co-edited with Dr. Kimball and Dr. Maura Hearden.

I also spend some time reading excerpts from the work of St. Teresa of Avila.

News of Note:  This podcast also gives upcoming details regarding the Catholic New Media Celebration and the National Catholic Bible Conference. Finally, I was a recent guest on SQPN's Catholic Weekend, listen here.

This makes me think...

The feast of Shavuot ("Weeks") occurred forty-nine days (seven weeks) after the Feast of Passover. Since it was the fiftieth day after Passover, it acquired the Greek name of Pentecost, meaning "fiftieth." Pentecost marked the end of the grain harvest and designated at time of prosperity and joy.  Moses stipulated that an offering of two loaves of bread be offered to God on this day as a sign of gratitude (Lev 23: 15-21).


Just as Passover symbolized the liberty of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, the Feast of Pentecost symbolized the presentation of the Law to Israel through the prophet Moses. This is paralleled in the Catholic Church by the Christian feast of Pentecost, which is exactly fifty days after Easter. This holy day recalls how Christ poured out the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and the Church (Acts 2). Just as the Law was given to Israel on the Feast of Pentecost, so the Spirit was given to the Church on the feast of Pentecost. For Catholics, the Jewish harvest theme is an allegory of the harvest of souls gathered in by the twelve Apostles of Christ.


---Taylor Marshall, The Crucified Rabbi, St John Press, 2009.

I'm Among Friends on Catholic Weekend

I was happy to take part in Catholic Weekend's show this week as a guest. Among other things, we discussed Among Women's 100th episode milestone, and enjoyed anticipating the Catholic New Media Conference -- as registration was announced this past week.

Join Capt. Jeff Nielsen, Maria Johnson, Steve Nelson and myself as we banter about podcasts, new media, driving in Boston, and modesty issues for women and men. Listen in!

Pentecost: The Spirit is all about Jesus and the Church

Happy Pentecost!  Happy Birthday Church!

Do not miss this wonderful epistle from New York's Archbishop Timothy Dolan about today.

And, while this video is for folks on a military base, it's got good guts to it.

Let's remember that it's all about Jesus.

Read my column this week on the Sequence Prayer from today's Mass.

Among Women ReadHer... 6.11.11

Among Women ReadHer

6.11.11

Miscarriage
-- Fr Frank Pavone from Priests for Life on Catholic Lane
Sensitive commentary.


Things I've Learned in Times of Doubt 
-- Karen Edmisten on her blog of the same name
Thumbs up, Karen!


Faith in the Time of Breast Lumps 
-- Elizabeth Esther
What to do while you're waiting for the diagnostic exam.


Pagan Convert: Christie Martin 
-- Christie Martin at Why I'm Catholic
Her conversion story in her own words.

How to Tie Your Shoes
-- courtesy of Julie Davis at Happy Catholic
Gosh, a small revelation.


Taking Class with the X-Men 
-- Maria Morera Johnson at Patheos' Catholic Portal
Got super-hero fans at your house? Need some help conversing with them? Check this out.


Teaching Self Control [to children] is Great Summer Exercise
-- Mary Beth Hicks
One of the fruits of the Spirit, don't ya know...


The Ins and Outs of Opening a Door for a Woman 
-- Brett & Kate McKay
So, what's your experience?


Finally, a story of a remarkable woman...
Watch this video clip about forgiving your son's killer. 
HT: Deacon Greg at The Deacon's Bench

Learn this name: Sung-bong Choi

Is this a feel-good story or what?
Imagine what a few voice lessons could do. 

The F.U.N Quotient... I dare ya NOT to laugh!

In case you could not get enough...

Veni, Sancte Spiritus -- A Word in Season

My column, A Word in Season, over at Patheos reflects and prays over the words of the Veni, Sancte Spiritus, (Come, Holy Spirit), a prayer that we'll pray as the Sequence on Pentecost Sunday.

Here's a smattering...

There are days and then there are days. You know the kind I mean. There are the days when we need every ounce of grace just to get through. If one is a praying Christian, those days are saturated with inward groanings directed toward heaven. Why? Because, even under duress, a Christian is aware that something, er, Someone upholds them every day. It is the Lord: “In Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).”

In those challenging moments of my life, there is really only one prayer to pray. In fact, it is so simple that that maybe I should pray it every day, so I may be more mindful of the grace He supplies in a personal and direct response to my utterance: “Come, Holy Spirit!”

Come, Holy Spirit, come!

And from your celestial home

Shed a ray of light divine!

Come, Father of the poor!

Come, source of all our store!

Come, within our bosoms shine.

You'll find the rest over at Patheos.

Among Women Podcast reaches 100 episodes! A Special Edition!

The Among Women podcast turns 100 today -- 100 episodes that is! We've packed the show with listener feedback and begin part one of a two-part discussion on women mystics with special guest, Mariologist and theologian, Dr. Virginia Kimball, who first helped launch AW's debut episodes way back in the spring of 2009.

Join me and my listeners for a little retrospective as well as some perspective on the two year history of this podcast and the community that has taken shape among these women.

Then join us as we dive into learning about the desert mothers, represented by Amma Syncletica, plus we'll discuss Hildegard and Catherine of Siena.

It's an extended-length podcast, in gratitude for all the blessings of the first 100 episodes. Listen in!

This makes me think...

You dwell, my Lord Jesus, in the Holy Eucharist. You are here, within a few feet of me, in the tabernacle... How close you are, my God, my Savior, my Jesus...
St. Mary Magdalene was no nearer to you when she sat at your feet at Bethany than I am at the foot of the altar.


---Blessed Charles de Foucauld, who is also the author of this amazing prayer.

Among Women ReadHer...6.4.11

Among Women ReadHer

6.4.11

Breathing the Same Air -- Hallie Lord

Yup. Among Women welcomed Hallie Lord back on Episode 84 where we discussed fashion and modesty, and as we anticipate summer, she's got a swimsuit post up at her blog.

When a Child's Love Comes Slowly -- Heidi Hess Saxton

The shaping of an adoptive Mom's heart. Important counsel.


The Fight for Life in Minnesota -- Margaret Bern
Pictures show ordinary folks on the front lines.

The Real World of Motherhood -- Tony Rossi
An interview with Rachel Campos Duffy.


Surprised by Love -- Tim Muldoon
A tribute to marriage, especially friendship in marriage.


If you missed the The Today Show's Vatican visit this week, here are a few videos:
A Day in the life of Pope Benedict and a conversation with Archbishop Timothy Dolan about low church attendance, the John Jay study that focused on the church sex scandal causes and effects. There are more videos on the subject in the sidebar at that website.

Catholic Sisters and the American Civil War - Pat McNamara
Catholic history that comes alive!

And now a story of a remarkable young women...

Wow. Congrats and so much more.


And now a story of another remarkable woman...

HT: Creative Minority Report

The F.U.N Quotient... almost too chicken to post this...

When I take walks in my neighborhood, I can often hear my neighbors' roosters and chickens, but I can't often see them from the road. This video will forever give me a mental image...


I'm off to a wedding tonight, I wonder if I'll be subjected to a chicken dance of another kind... so I will bear this advice in mind. 
Now we know who to blame! 

Oh, and why not a few chicken jokes to share with the little kiddos in your life, right?

Why did the chicken cross the road? 

To show the possum it could be done. (Feel free to insert your own favorite regionally-based road-kill into future riddles.)

Why do chicken coops have two doors?

If they had four doors they'd be chicken sedans!

The Cloud, The Angels, The Ascension...

My column this week up at Patheos takes a look at the Ascension -- trying to highlight the fantastic as well as sublime aspects of it  -- while gaining an appreciation for Jesus' continued proximity to us... here's a snippet:

It reads like a movie finale, complete with special effects…

Jesus and his truest companions are in the soul-stirring closing scene.

Strong, important, curious words are uttered, recorded for posterity.

 …wait for the promise of the Father…

 …you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit…

 …you shall receive power…

 …you shall be my witnesses…

… to the end[s] of the earth. (See Acts 1: 4, 5, 8, RSV-CE.)

The proverbial torch is passed to the noble characters that remain faithful. Then, in a moment worthy of high-priced special effects, the leading man puts a seeming end to the story as he is enveloped and transported from view…

 “…as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.” (Acts 1:9)  

You expect the credits to roll up. But wait…

The rest.